Stellar Wind 2012 a novel that raises consciousness about saving Humanity before 2012.

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A chapter from Stellar Wind 2012

Chapter Nine: Under Camanchaca

The last morning at the arroyo came thick with moist fog called Camanchaca. It was similar to heavy fog at sea. When Henry felt someone standing over him, he blinked open his eyes. His mind could not understand who he was looking at. It was not Cookey. It was not the Changos. Who was it? Henry sat up with a jolt, drawing his dagger. Then he rubbed his eyes and looked again. In a soft, glowing light similar to the one that had enveloped Frederick stood the young cabin boy, Marcus.

"Faith, good captain," said Marcus, lowering himself to sit upon the shrouded table next to Henry.

Henry did not speak. Though he was surprised, he was not overwhelmed either, since in the past two months of his life he had seen ghosts and demons and angels. Now he was looking at a dead boy whose heart had been removed from his small body. If this should surprise him, it did not.

"Marcus," Henry said in a normal tone. "How may I assist you, Angel?"

"Good Captain Henry, always willing to lend a hand. Hear me when I say that I have not come in seek of help. Quite the contrary, sir, tis I who am at your command, and there shall remain until the day comes when you stop the evil that befell our beloved, Stellar Wind. Centuries will pass before this occurs, and at the dawn of the World of the Fifth Sun, the mystran be ready to commence his war."

"As sure as God sees me, I do not understand, Marcus. People keep telling me about the dawn of the World of the Fifth Sun, but what does that mean?"

"Tis a rebirth, sir. The beginning of a new era resulting from the solar meridian crossing the galactic equator, and our earth aligning with the center of the galaxy."

"Ah, a cosmic event!" Henry said, finally beginning to comprehend.

"Aye Captain."

"Well so, lad. Tell me more."

"During the decline of the Fourth World, a time which we are living today, the dark power cannot be destroyed. It shall continue to grow. Tis the same mystran that has possessed Captain Morag's body, Ajaw Kimi. Tis this evil we battle against but alas, there are more. They are known as the nine Lords of the Night."
Henry remembered that Morag had also mentioned them. "Aye, Lords of the Night," he said trying to visualize them.

"Thousands of ships will unwillingly join Econtra Lumen, and tens of thousands of souls will become slaves. Having claimed the seven seas, the demon army will then attack land. Morag, or the demon within him, will not stop until he has enslaved every soul on the earth. Frederick will go to sea to command God's Holy Fleet. Every ship that has perished since the beginning of time will rise again, all moving to join Frederick in battle. Most of them are on the side of the Lord, few, however, will choose Econtra Lumen. For this reason, the mystran Ajaw Kimi builds a diabolical fleet. However, he has limitations; he can only take down ships that come to him, like Captain Jally's pirate ship and the Changos in their rafts."

"Without a doubt this table is partisan of some sort, is it not?" Henry said, gesturing with his square chin to the table where Marcus sat.

"Aye, sir," the lad replied. "Each soul it claims shall be enslaved, drafted to Ajaw Kimi's malignant fleet. A day will come when the two forces will clash. It will be on that day, several days before the New Sun, that some slaves will be released. Each enslaved soul whose heart is pierced by Frederick shall be released. If it is his will, he may remain with Frederick to battle the evil or, if it is his wish he may move on to be judged at the gates of Paradise. However, every man that Morag himself stabs in the back will change sides and become his slave."

"Then the slaves shall willingly allow Frederick to pierce their hearts?"

"Nay, my dear sir. As slaves, they are obliged to fight with Econtra Lumen. They must fight Frederick as an enemy, or they will fall deep into Shadowland."

"I hold, they know this?"

"Aye, grant it," Marcus assured. "A war is on hand, Captain, a war like no other. If you cannot return with Captain Morag's heart and the hag's dagger by the first day of the Fifth Sun, darkness will fill the earth and humanity will be cursed over the next cycle of twenty-six thousand years."

"What exactly will happen, Marcus? Say now."

"God forbid!" Marcus exclaimed, shaking his blonde curls. "T'would be disastrous, the end of Mankind. If perchance Ajaw Kimi wins the war at sea, he is free to come ashore. With the simple touch of its foot on land, the dead from the beginning of time will awaken, and the war shall continue on land in the same fashion as it did at sea but worse. Pure spirits will fight on the side of Good, while malignant spirits of the deceased will enter and possess the living. A heavy burden has fallen upon your shoulders, sir. And though you have not the knowledge, you are the key to stop it." Henry's eyebrows widened, then furrowed. "Never a doubt, Captain, that throughout I shall remain your humble servant, as well as your guide. Ask of me what you will.

"Tell me, lad? Beyond all peradventure, how do I begin?"

"For certain, you already have begun by removing this table from Stellar Wind," Marcus said, gesturing to the table he sat upon.

"How now?"

"You, Captain, are a key, the key to the Side of the Light, whilst this table is the key for Econtra Lumen. Two keys, keys that will decide the fate of Humanity for twenty-six thousand years."

"A key?" Henry asked, twirling his father's ring on his finger. The boy nodded, his beautiful blue eyes shining brightly. "Nevertheless, what to do now, Marcus?"

"Find a place to stow the table," the boy replied. "It must be where no man will find it, for if the table feels a soul nearby, it will come out of hiding to steal it."

"And that soul will be taken prisoner to Stellar Wind."

"Aye, sir," the yellow-haired angel replied somberly. "As you have witnessed Captain, tis indestructible. Nevertheless," Marcus said, radiating hope, "as with all cursed things and creatures, this table has a weakness. If bound, it cannot move. If locked away, it remains captive, losing its power. You must take it to the cave. Barricade its entrance with boulders so large no man can move them."

"Where is this cave?"

"The Changos will lead you. Follow them wholeheartedly. They will not steer you wrong."

"Howbeit the table does not steal their souls, Cookey's or mine?"

"It cannot," Marcus said simply.

"Is there a reason? I wish to hear it."

"Aye." Henry noticed that he felt protected with Marcus near, warm and soothed like when Frederick was still with him. It was a good feeling. "The Changos are protected in the Lord's light, for He has chosen them for this sacred task. They feel this and fear not."

"And I, Marcus%u2026and Cookey? What about us? Are we chosen by God as well?"

"Aye. In some way, sir but different."

"How then? What difference is there?"

"Twas Cookey and thyself who stepped forward risking your mortal lives to battle against the evil that was in Captain Morag. Alas, when you slew the demon, you were not completely sure if he was in fact a man. The mystran warned you: 'Thou shalt not kill.' Tis, as you know, one of God's Commandments." Henry nodded. The Commandment had been preying on his mind since the mutiny. "For this reason, neither Cookey nor yourself will find it easy to execute your task."

"Tis, it seems, like punishment for killing a man," Henry said, coming into realization.

"Because you took the life of a man into your hands, your journey will be arduous and painstakingly long. You must prepare to endure many long and lonely years." Henry stayed quiet, listening, just listening. "Despite the other, tis written that he who slays a demon in the name of God resides in His grace."

"His grace," Henry whispered, his handsome face clearly proving his incomprehension.

"Tis also written that only those who slew the demon have the power to stop it."

"Cookey and myself, of course." John Henry's hazel eyes stayed lost in thought for a moment.

"Tis understood."

"Marcus, clue I have not how to fulfill such a deed. How shall I know? How?"

"Twas in your vision, sir, your dream. Captain Morag has shown you the manner in which he was bereft his soul. The ritual was not perfect because only God is perfect. Aught else has flaws, especially demonic practice."

"Say then, what imperfection?"

"The wooden tankard that was placed on Captain Morag's chest embrangled his beating heart out of his body. This was necessary to make way for the demon, Ajaw Kimi, for demons are heartless creatures. It could not enter a temple of God, a man's body, until the heart was removed."

Henry visualized the wooden tankard, trembling and sucking Captain Morag's heart.

He could clearly see the hag cover the tankard, and then place it on the table, the very table that Cookey had placed Morag's head on, the very table that was found under Yael and Juan's corpses, the very table Marcus was sitting upon at this very moment.

"I see. I begin to understand. I must return the heart to Morag's body," Henry said, looking up into Marcus's peaceful eyes. Marcus said nothing. Slowly, Henry's expression transformed, and his eyes took on a bewildered look. "Tis impossible!" he exclaimed, losing all semblance of calm. "We severed his head! We cast both body and head into the Pacific at his Christian funeral!"

"Aye, Captain. However, as you know, where there is God, there is a way."

"I hear you," Henry said, trying to regain composure.

"You must return to Haiti, sir. You must find the living heart. It beats within the wooden tankard."

"But the body! There is no body!" Henry insisted.

"It matters not. To set Captain Morag's spirit free from the limbo in which he roams, you must retrieve the heart. Atop this accursed table, you must pierce it with the dagger used by the old woman in the ritual. Having accomplished this, the war will cease immediately. Every soul Ajaw Kimi has enslaved will be free except he who chooses Econtra Lumen. That soul will have no redemption, and will be damned for all eternity. Be well warned, Captain, this must be done before the demon can make it to shore on the first day of the Fifth Sun."

"Tell me one more thing, dear angel."

"Sir?"

"You said: centuries will pass,"

"For certain, sir."

"I cannot live centuries. If death takes me before fulfilling my mission, what then of Mankind?"

Marcus did not answer right away. He raised his blonde head as though awaiting the answer from above.

"Aye," he finally said. "This will not come to pass. Captain Henry, you and Cookey have been given the gift of lasting life; a life that will remain within you until you end this curse."

Now Henry was the one not answering right away. He remained in thought a long while.

"Twas Frederick, was it not?" Henry said at last. "He took our hands, bestowing upon us this lasting life before we came ashore on the deck of Stellar Wind."

"Indeed," Marcus nodded, not taking his eyes from Henry's "Bestowed upon you are three gifts. The first: Your intuition and intelligence. Trust yourself completely in the understanding that God has fortified you. The second gift is Lasting life. Neither you nor Cookey can die until you complete your mission."

"And the third, Marcus?"

"You are already aware of it, Captain. Tis the gift of tongue. There is neither language nor dialect you cannot speak as easily as your mother tongue. There are, however, exceptions: Malevolent humans who have sold their souls, and chameleon demons. They are shape-shifters that easily trick mortals by disguising themselves as anyone's brother or sister. Because of your gift of tongue, you will always know when Knan are in your midst, for not a word they utter will you understand. You cannot communicate with shape-shifters, nor they with you. Tis how you will know they are among you."

Henry stayed thinking for another long moment; his mind absorbing all of this new information.

"Mind you," Henry said, "Frederick filled us with these gifts in front of Morag's face..."

"Indeed, sir."

"Say then, does it, Ajaw Kimi does it know we have lasting life?"

"Nay, but it knows you are protected."

"What else?"

"It knows of your intentions."

"Aye, I suspected as much. Can it stop us?"

"Nay, but delay you it can. These abominable creatures of Econtra Lumen will stalk and hunt you down. They will do anything to prevent you from returning to Haiti. Many years of your life will be spent escaping and battling Knan."
Henry sighed deeply: "All told can I fail?"
Marcus did not answer this question. "You will not fail," he said instead. "Throughout your journey, pray for peace. Make time for reflection, and whenever possible light a candle. Speak your intention to the flame and send the light of it up into Heaven. Rejuvenate where energy lives and weaves, at places of natural beauty and splendor. You can also find the energy of God in any of His temples, no matter the religion."

"Do tell more of what the aligning of the stars signifies to Man. I need to better understand this."

Read on in Stellar Wind 2012

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